The top reported proficiency rate is 18% in English language arts. The lowest is 7% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Thea Bowman Leadership Academy
Thea Bowman Leadership Academy operates as a single-school district serving kindergarten through twelfth grade in Gary, Indiana. It is a charter school that functions as its own district, so the school and the district are one and the same. The student population is predominantly Black, with small shares of Hispanic students and students of two or more races. The school is located in Lake County, which includes Gary and its surrounding communities.
On the 2024–25 ILEARN assessments, which Indiana administers to students in grades three through eight, Thea Bowman's proficiency rates were low across all tested subjects. In math, just over one in ten students scored at the proficient level. In English language arts, fewer than one in five did. In science, the share was even smaller, and in social studies, tested only in fifth grade, the rate was similarly low. The school's overall proficiency index, which averages results across subjects and grades, placed it below the midpoint among the thirty districts in Lake County for which data was available. A parent considering the school should be aware that academic achievement on state tests is well below the county average, and this pattern has likely contributed to the school's recent instability.
Chronic absenteeism affects a substantial share of students, with a rate that sits above the midpoint in the county comparison. This is a significant concern, as consistent attendance is closely tied to academic progress. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not reported, so it is unclear what share of the student population receives special education or language support services.
The school's recent history is dominated by a charter revocation crisis. In December 2023, its authorizer at the time, a university-affiliated entity, revoked the school's charter, citing persistent academic and organizational shortcomings. The school then secured a new authorizer through a different college, and the Indiana State Board of Education approved the transfer in early 2024, narrowly avoiding closure. This event carries ongoing implications for families: the charter's stability remains a live concern, and the school has undergone multiple authorizer changes in recent years. Separately, the school has announced a multi-phase campus expansion on Gary's west side, beginning with a new facilities building, a K-5 classroom addition, and a cafeteria expansion. Future phases plan for a multipurpose room, additional classrooms, a health clinic, and athletic fields. This investment signals a long-term commitment to the site, but it comes amid the upheaval of the charter transfer.
Per-pupil spending is in the middle range, upper half among the county's districts, indicating that the school is not under-resourced relative to its peers. However, the academic results and attendance patterns suggest that resources have not translated into strong outcomes.
This is a school that fits a family looking for a charter option in Gary that serves all grades under one roof and that has made a visible investment in facilities. It does not fit a family seeking strong academic performance as measured by state tests, nor one averse to the risk that comes with a school that narrowly avoided closure on a charter that has been moved between authorizers. A parent may want to investigate what academic support and improvement plans are in place following the charter transfer, and how the school intends to address the chronic absenteeism and low proficiency rates that led to its recent jeopardy.
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